Bushing for harness-loops.



No. 635,022. Patented Oct. I7, I899.

' J. N. PHILLIPS.

BUSHING FOB HARNESS LOOPS,

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WmvEssZ's v P mvswron, 6% Pk B) W W M W 11 TTORNEY,

a. c. NORRIS PITERS CO I PNUIoQ-IYWZ. WKSNNGTON C E o PATENT JOSEPH N. PHILLIPS, OF NOIHVICH, CONNECTICUT.

BUSHING FOR HARNESS-LOOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,022, dated October 17, 1899.

Application filed April 4, 1898.

To (all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH N. PHILLIPS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, New London county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bushings for Harness Loops, of which the following is'a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of a metallic bushing for harness-loops, my purpose being to increase the efficiency and wear of such loops without adding materially to their cost.

My said bushings may be used with advantage with any of the Various loops throughout a harness; but they are particularly valuable for use with the loops that are commonly suspended from the saddle of a single harness to support the thills. Said shaft-holders are ordinarily made of leather, and consist in their simplest form of a strap doubled back upon itself and stitched to form a loop of oval form, through which the thill end may pass. When thus formed of leather alone, the constant motion of the thill tends to chafe and Wear away both the leather and stitching, and as a result the harness soon requires mendingatthatpoint. Topreventsuchwear, my metallic bushing has been produced.

In the drawings annexed hereto, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thill-loop having my bushing mounted therein, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same on line m m. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of said bushing as it appears before it is placed in the loop. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the subject-matter of Fig.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the letter Ct denotes the saddle-strap of a harness, 19 the thill-supporting loop, and c a portion of the girth-strap. One end of the loop I) is secured to a buckle d, and the other end Z) is secured in place by the tongue (1 of the buckle.

My newly-invented bushing is formed with a body portion e, of sheet metal, that is doubled upon itself and bent into approximately the shape of the loop with which it is to be used, but somewhat more open, so that when $erial1l'o. 676,370. (No model.)

the strap of the loop is drawn to its operative position the sides of the metallic bushing are pressed together within said loop.

The edges of the main or body portion e of the bushing are turned over pieces of stilt spring-wire e, that give strength and elasticity to the bushing.

The free ends of the bushing are extended, as at c and when intended for use with the thill-loop are slitted, as at 6 to straddle the tongue of the buckle d.

In assembling the thill-loop and bushing the end I) of the former is removed from the buckle and the bushing is placed within the loop-strap, withits slotted ends 6 bent to pass through the buckle and into the box 19 The free end b of the loop b is then inserted in the buckle, and as it is drawn down to close the loop the metallic bushing iscompressed and sprung together, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and when ,thus compressed the beaded edges, together with the extensions e effectually prevent the removal or accidental displacement of said bushing until the end I) is released from the buckle.

My described bushing may be very cheaply produced and may be used with new or old harnesses. It prevents all wear of the loops, keeps them in their normal shape, and adds materially to the efficiency and durability of the harness.

In conclusion, it may be noted that when the bushing is detached from the loop one of its extended ends is bent back into substantially parallel relation to the body of the bushing and that the other of said ends extends shown in Figs. 3 audit; but whenthe harness.- loop to which the bushing is applied is closed the harness-strap-as,forinstance,ct-presses the bushing ends together (see Fig. 1) and retains them in this position as long as the strap is held in place by its keeper h Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A bushing for harness-loops of the character described comprising a body portion through which the strap ends are tucked.

substantially at right angles to the body, as

having ends bent laterally in the same direcof the harness-100p and bushing, substan- IO tion and adapted to overlap to aid in holding tially as specified.

the bushing 1n the. looped position. Signed at Norwich, Connecticut, this 26th 2. The combination with aharness-loop and day of March, 1898. 5 a buckle secured thereto, of a bushing for T said loop comprising a body portion having JOSEPH PHILLIPS its ends bent laterally in the same direction, \Vitnesses:

and a retaining-loop carried by the harness- FRANK H. ALLEN, loop and designed to receive the extremities ALONZO M. LUTHER. 

